The Wager
by Yakaji
Summary: Cross Marian thinks one of the exorcists in the Black Order, Yuu Kanda, is hiding a secret. After making a wager with Klaud, he'll stop at nothing to find out whether or not he's right. Rated M - Mostly for whenever anyone thinks about Lenalee.
1. Cross Marian

* * *

**The Wager**

_Part 1 - Cross Marian_

* * *

There were three things in life that Cross Marian enjoyed above all others: wagers, wine, and women. This particular situation involved all three.

"No way, Cross. There is absolutely no way." Finishing what was left in her wineglass, Klaud Nine reached across the table to seize the bottle in front of Cross. She almost knocked over one of the few candles giving light to the empty mess hall. No one else was ever down here this late at night.

"I swear, Klaud, he must be." Cross laughed, a deep throaty laugh. "See, he even has me saying it. 'He'."

Klaud tipped the bottle into her own glass, filling it almost to the brim before returning the bottle to the table. She raised the glass to her lips and sniffed at it testingly. "I don't believe it. I refuse to believe it. There is absolutely no way. How could he have gone undetected for so long?"

Cross took the bottle back from Klaud and refilled his own glass. This wine, the one he had been drinking before Klaud snatched it away, was a French vintage from the late 1860's. Flowery, with a deep burgundy color and a dry aftertaste. Exactly the sort of wine Cross liked. He filled the glass to just below half-full, the proper amount if you wanted to actually appreciate what you were drinking. As much as Cross enjoyed drinking with Klaud, the woman did do the most appalling things with her wine.

"How could he have gone unnoticed? Easy. It's not like we check on these things. And Tiedoll, well he's not the most observant of us, is he? He could have made a mistake in the initial record."

"But why would he pretend," Klaud hiccupped. "Wh-why would he possibly want to keep it a secret?"

Cross laughed again, smiling as a faint blush stole across his companion's cheeks. "Surely you, Nine, can think of a reason why a woman might want to stay hidden in the Black Order. Or have you been a General so long that you've forgotten what it was like being one of the rank-and-file? Have you seen how all the men look at Lenalee?" Images flashed in Cross's head, unbidden – images of Lenalee smiling, Lenalee sleeping, Lenalee showerin… - Cross brought his mind firmly back to the conversation.

"Naaah, it wasn't like that! Back when we just got here? Wazzn't all that bad." Klaud took another long swig of her wine. On her shoulder, Lau Jimin chittered reprovingly.

"Oh, have you forgotten when Winters snuck into your quarters to watch you undress, then? Or when Tiedoll and I cut a hole into the womens' showers so we cou-"

"Tiedoll was in on that!?" Shock and anger mingled in Klaud's voice with… was that self-satisfaction? Klaud had always been proud of her appearance. Maybe she had never realized it had the same effect on Tiedoll as it had on all the others. She hiccupped again, and tried to hide it by taking another drink. "Anyway… yeah, yeah, I get your point, Cross."

"So you see why he might want to keep it a secret? Honestly, what right-minded woman would want to endure all that? It's only gotten worse in the last ten years, you know."

"Aaaaaah, still think s'wazzn't that bad after all, y'know," Klaud mumbled. Her glass was almost empty again. Cross pushed another bottle across the table to her – a bottle of something a little less expensive. He wanted the rest of the burgundy for himself. She took it gratefully and filled her glass again, slopping a little over the top this time. The wine soaked into the wood of the mess-hall tables, leaving a stain only just discernable in the candlelight. "How d'ya think he does it, though?"

"That's the real question, isn't it," replied Cross. "You'd think someone would have found out by now. But look at him, he's probably the only 'man' in this castle who doesn't spend his nights pining for Lenalee. Or doing worse than pining." Images of Lenalee lying on her bed in lingerie, images of Lenalee lying on her bed without even lingerie. No, no, here and now. Cross took another sip of his wine, trying to right himself. "He must have something worked out. No one ever sees him shower. No one ever sees him get changed into his uniform. And every time he gets injured…."

"Yesh, I'd notished that one too," Klaud slurred. Lau Jimin hopped down onto the table and tried to take Klaud's glass away, but she swatted the little monkey on the head and put him back on her shoulder. She blinked deliberately, getting her bearings back. "I've never figured out why he insists on bandaging his chest every time he gets hurt. Well, y'know… Why don't we just call it a wager?"

The very words Cross Marian had been hoping for.

"And what do you propose as the stakes, Klaud?"

"If I win, I want some private time with that cute little apprentice of yours."

"Fine, fine. And if I win?"

"Then I'll give you some priva-"

"I've got a better idea, Klaud. Why don't you help me get out of this idiotic castle? You know how much I hate it here. There's real work to be done, but they want me behind a desk so they can keep an eye on me. I need out."

Klaud sighed, looking briefly disappointed. "Okay, fine, Cross Marian. If you want my help to leave the castle, you can have it. IF you're right."

Cross grinned expansively. "Excellent. Then I'll prove it to you, within a fortnight. Yuu Kanda is absolutely, positively a woman."


	2. Allen Walker

* * *

**The Wager**

_Part 2 - Allen Walker_

* * *

"Idiot Apprentice! I have a job for you!"

Allen Walker clawed at the hand that encircled his throat and pinned him to the wall. He couldn't breathe. His legs kicked feebly, but already their strength was almost gone. "Whaaaa--… What is it, Master," he rasped.

Cross Marian rubbed his chin with his free hand. "I think we should all go enjoy the new bath house Komui had installed while I was away. As a reward for the hard work we did bringing the Ark back here. What do you think?"

"Can't… Nnngghh…" Allen's lungs burned. He felt like his head was going to cave in on itself. "Master… Can't… breathe!"

Arching an eyebrow, Cross hummed absently. "Can't you? You should have said something. Idiot Apprentice, I swear, I don't think I'll ever understand how you survived this last year without my generous guidance and protection." The hand around his throat drew back, and Allen slumped to the floor, gasping for air.

He fought the urge to mention how much less likely his survival would have been, had he enjoyed any more of his master's guidance and protection.

"Baths, good," Allen croaked. "That I can do. But why did you call it a job, Master?" A spike of fear shot up his spine at the question, but Allen knew it was better to ask than to risk displeasing his master further by failing to do what he wanted.

Cross drew a cigarette out from his pocket and stuffed it into his mouth. He patted himself down, looking for a lighter or a box of matches, but found nothing. He kicked Allen squarely in the stomach. "Kid, ya got somethin' I can use to light this? I'm all out." Allen's question went completely ignored.

With a grunt, Allen dug into one of the pockets of his exorcist coat and drew out a small matchbook, which he handed up to Cross. He'd made a habit of collecting them, in preparation for the day when his master returned. Cross Marian had an endless supply of cigarettes buried in his uniform, but never a single match.

Cross broke off a match and reversed the cover of the book, pinching the match head between the cover and the striking strip. He pulled, and the match flared to life. With one hand he touched the match to the end of his cigarette. His other hand threw the now-unneeded matchbook back at Allen. Cross puffed as the cigarette ignited, and carelessly tossed the match at Allen as well.

Allen was used to all this. He snagged the matchbook, pocketed it, brought his fingers to his lips, licked them, pinched the match as it was still falling, and then licked them once more to soothe the momentary burning, all in one smooth motion. Cross sighed with pleasure as nicotine rushed through his system, and Allen prompted him again. "Master? The baths?"

"Mmmm. Yes, the baths. Stand up, will you, kid? No wonder you're always so filthy, lying around in the corridors like that." Cross aimed another swift kick at Allen's midsection, which he narrowly avoided as he scrambled to his feet. "I've got a bet going with Klaud, and I need you to make sure that Kanda's in that bath with us. So I figure, make it a whole big family affair. Get him, Lavi, Krory, and… what's that new kid's name?"

"Chaoji, Master?"

"Yeah, whatever, him too." Cross took a deep draw on the cigarette, closing his eyes and enjoying the sensation before letting the smoke billow out his nose.

"May I ask what the wager is about, Master," Allen queried respectfully. General Cross's wagers went bad more often than not, and it was a rare day when Allen wasn't left holding the bag. Sometimes, he even got to learn what his master had done to land him in so much trouble.

"No you may not, Idiot Apprentice. Just make sure Kanda's there. Oh, and make sure there's some of that wine I like, also. You know, the pale bubbly stuff I keep in the crate under the stairs." Well, that bit would be easy enough to accomplish, anyway. Allen wasn't sure how wise it was to be drinking wine in Komui's bathhouse, but he wasn't about to argue the point with his master.

"If that's all, Master, may I go?" Cross had that distracted look in his one good eye, the one that said he was up to no good. Thankfully, he often distracted himself so much at those times that Allen could sneak away unnoticed. He tried that now.

He made it four steps before a heavy boot slammed into his back, knocking him to the floor. Footsteps from behind announced Cross following, and that same heavy boot came down between his shoulder blades, pinning him.

"One more thing, Idiot Apprentice. If this is going to be a celebration of what we accomplished on the Ark, it should involve ALL of us. Bring Lenalee as well."

Anger flared in Allen. How was he supposed to accomplish that? Bring Lenalee into the bathhouse Komui had made for the MEN of the Black Order? Not only would she never agree to it, but Komui would kill Allen himself if he ever found out. …and surely Cross would kill him if he didn't follow through.

The boot lifted from Allen's shoulders, and Cross clomped down the corridor away from him, leaving Allen in peace.

_Well, it really would be a better celebration if we were all there_, Allen thought to himself. _Lenalee played her part on the Ark, too._ Images flashed in his mind. Lenalee with a gun to her head, and Jasdero and Devit twined around her. Lenalee in her dicelike prison, with the hot wax of Road's candle spears dripping all around her. Lenalee shrieking in terror, coiled in the writhing segmented tentacles of the beast that had once been Tyki Mikk. Allen's breath quickened and he felt suddenly warm inside. _Of course she has to come! As long as Komui never learns she was in the men's bath with us, it's all fine._

"Master, you're brilliant!" Allen giggled to himself.


	3. Lavi

* * *

**The Wager**

_Part 3 - Lavi_

* * *

Lavi grinned appreciatively at the scene playing out before him.

At the far corner of the bath, Kanda was sitting with his face to the wall, trying to be invisible. Chaoji, who still didn't know Kanda very well, was sitting next to the Japanese exorcist and trying to make small talk. By the way Kanda's shoulders twitched every few seconds, he would like nothing better than to throttle Chaoji and run away. But that wasn't what Lavi found most amusing.

General Cross Marian, sitting a few feet away, seemed truly distracted for the first time since Lavi had met him. Up until now, Lavi had considered Cross exactly his type of guy – cool, collected, and with a taste for the finer things in life. A bit like Tyki Mikk. Shame, really, that Tyki was a Noah and that the old Panda had decided to join up with the Black Order. Lavi thought he and the Noah of Pleasure could have gotten along quite well, under different circumstances.

Say, over a friendly game of strip poker.

But it was not to be. And since it was not to be, Lavi had to look elsewhere for his entertainment. And General Cross, usually so debonair, was providing just the sort of entertainment Lavi wanted.

Cross shot another glance at Chaoji and Kanda. He had been doing that ever since Kanda had climbed in, a few minutes before. He looked ready to stand up and join them – clearly he had some interest in speaking with Kanda. And then…

"YADA!! Allen, what are you DOING!?"

Cross's head whipped around as another scream ripped through the bath house. Lavi had to admit he was very curious himself. What WAS Allen doing to prompt that sort of reaction from Lenalee Lee? Lavi watched and, once again, Cross's eye appeared to glaze over as he stared in the direction of the voice.

The sounds of the struggle that had been going on for at least five minues became muffled again. Cross's eyes refocused, and he looked back toward Kanda and Chaoji. He began to get up.

_Oh, now what fun is that_, Lavi asked himself. He reached behind him and pulled around a tall-sided wooden tray, the kind used for holding bathing supplies. This particular one held something a little different, however. "General Cross, perhaps you'd like to join me in a toast?"

Cross's head whipped around in surprise, and he stared down at Lavi and the tray in front of him. He saw the array of little bottles for heated sake, and a smile spread across his face.

"Lavi! I didn't see you there! Is that sake I see?"

"Yup," Lavi said with a grin.

"Aren't you… y'know… underage?"

"Nope. You're being anachronistic, General."

"….huh?"

"The only British law regulating the sale of alcohol to minors that's applicable in our timeline is the 1886 Intoxicating Liquors Act. Under that act, children younger than thirteen are not allowed to buy alcoholic beverages of any sort. That's the only restriction." Some days it was good to be the Bookman's apprentice.

"…oh. So… Okay." Cross settled back into the water and took one of the bottles from the tray. Lavi took one for himself and said, "To hot baths and hot sake." He clinked his earthenware bottle against Cross's.

"ALLEN WALKER, PUT ME DOWN RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

"And hot women," Cross muttered to himself, downing the bottle in one gulp.

Women weren't so much Lavi's thing, really, but… His overactive imagination began to consider just what might be happening out in the entryway. Lenalee, being undressed by a nearly-naked Allen Walker. Lenalee, beating her fists against Allen's beautifully sculpted abs. Lenalee trying to fight him off and accidentally knocking away his towel to expose his tight little butt and his enormous-

"You know, Lavi," Cross said absently, "as rice wines go, this is really excellent. Just the sort of thing I like." He downed another bottle and returned it to the tray. Lavi noticed that Cross had already emptied four of them. The man drank like a fiend.

Oh well. If Lavi got him drunk enough, maybe Lavi could have some fun of his own, tonight. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kanda stand up and hurry out of the bath. Lavi passed Cross another bottle.


	4. Chaoji Han

* * *

**The Wager**

_Part 4 - Chaoji Han_

* * *

"Hey, you."

A dark and ominous shadow fell across Chaoji's plate of spaghetti bolognaise. The Black Order mess hall was crowded, but Chaoji had been sitting alone as usual. No one really knew who he was, except for the exorcists who had been on the ark. And all of them were impeccably nice to him, even Kanda. Except for…

Chaoji looked up from his meal to stare at the man looming over him. His mouth fell open in shock.

"Yeah, you, Charlie or whatever your name is. I wanna have a word."

Chaoji nodded.

General Cross Marian rested against the edge of the table and planted one of his imposing boots on the bench beside Chaoji. "So Charlie, you did some mighty fine work on the Ark. You know that, right? Mighty fine work."

Chaoji nodded.

"Proud to have another exorcist in the Order. They're getting harder and harder to come by these days. It's important, y'know, Charlie, that we have new recruits."

Chaoji nodded.

"And it's important that a man know where his LOYALTIES lie, if you take my meaning. A man should have friends. Friends he can trust, if he has something he wants to get off his chest. Friends he can go to, if he needs to talk about something."

Chaoji smiled.

Cross returned Chaoji's smile, and then turned to shout over his shoulder. "JERRY! Bring a bottle of wine for my friend Charlie and I! We want to have a drink!"

"Well, actually, Sir, there is something…"

"Yes? Yes?" General Cross leaned forward expectantly, and Chaoji felt as if the hand of darkness had reached out and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

"It's about Lenalee, Sir." At the merest mention of her name, Chaoji felt the darkness around him recede. Beautiful, innocent, wonderful Lenalee. Images flashed through Chaoji's mind, images from his vivid imagination. Lenalee, riding on a white unicorn through a field of daisies. Lenalee, hopping and skipping through a bright, butterfly-filled meadow. Lenalee, naked and chained to a cold metal table, crying out for mercy.

Chaoji felt a gloved hand smash into the side of his head. "No, you idiot, it's about Kanda."

"It is, Sir?" The images of Lenalee faded back into the recesses of his mind. Chaoji watched them go regretfully.

"Of COURSE it is. You want to confide in me about what happened in the bath last night."

"I do, Sir?"

"You know, Charlie, when you were sitting. With Kanda. Alone." General Cross gave an exaggerated wink.

"Oh. Yes sir."

Jerry came hurrying out from the storeroom, holding a bottle of white wine and two long-stemmed glasses. He set them on the table and poured quickly, handing one glass to Cross. The General passed the wine under his nose, drawing in the aroma of the vintage. "Mmm. Jerry, is this that Riesling you brought over from Denmark last year? Good man. Good man. Just the sort of thing I like."

Jerry poured a second glass and tried to hand it to Chaoji, but Cross reached down and snatched it away with his free hand. "So then. What is it you wanted to tell me about Kanda?"

Jerry stared from Chaoji to Cross and back again, clearly not understanding the situation. Chaoji, though, thought he might be beginning to. He shot a quick glance at Jerry which, mercifully, the other man understood to mean "Get as far away as you can right now. This man is insane and he might start killing us at any moment. Save your family and escape while you still can."

Jerry backed away quietly, leaving the Riesling on the table.

"Umm… Is this about Kanda's… problem?"

"YES! That's it exactly, Charlie! What can you tell me about his 'problem'?" General Cross began to hand the wineglass to Chaoji.

"Well, Sir, that's really Kanda's business. I'm not sure I should-" The wineglass moved away as Cross leaned back, and the General's massive boot kicked Chaoji in the shortribs. The pain was overwhelming.

"Oh, I'm sorry Charlie. I didn't quite hear you. What were you saying?"

"Sir, I was just saying that you should really talk to-"

Cross sipped at his wine as his boot slammed into Chaoji's midsection yet again. A loud double-crack announced what were probably two broken ribs. "You really need to speak up, Charlie. My hearing isn't what it used to be, you know."

"All right! All right!" Chaoji held up his hands pleadingly. "He's been stealing sleeping pills from the infirmary. He hasn't been able to sleep well ever since the Ark. There, are you happy, Sir?"

Cross looked put out. "You mean he's not a woman?"

Chaoji's jaw fell open again. "Of course he's not a…" But he couldn't quite finish the words. Kanda had been very touchy about not letting Chaoji close enough to see his chest in the bath yesterday. And he was always keeping to himself, almost like he had something to hide. "…He's not, is he?"

General Cross clicked his tongue in exasperation. Transferring both wineglasses to his right hand, he grabbed the bottle and walked away without another word, for which Chaoji was immensely grateful. The new exorcist returned to his plate of spaghetti bolognaise, and his new and disturbing thoughts about what Kanda Yuu might be hiding…


	5. Noise Marie

Cross Marian was beginning to feel annoyed. More than a week had passed since the wager with Klaud, and still he had nothing to show for it – no proof that Yuu Kanda was really a woman. He had been so sure that the bathhouse trick would work. Being wrong was an uncomfortable and unfamiliar feeling for Cross Marian.

But would he surrender? Of course not! He had nearly two weeks left before the end of the wager, plenty of time to come up with another plan to verify Kanda's gender.

Now what had Charl – no, Chaoji. The new exorcist's name was Chaoji, Cross reminded himself. What had Chaoji been saying about sleeping pills?

* * *

**The Wager**

_Part 5 - Noise Marie_

* * *

Noise Marie did not like Cross Marian.

The man was arrogant, conceited, and self-centered. He was only interested in what could benefit himself. He was rude. He was brash. He was uncouth. He was, thought Noise, the very model of what every exorcist should strive NOT to be.

So understandably, Noise was a little unsettled to find himself summoned to meet with Cross Marian in the depths of the night.

Noise knocked at the door to the general's quarters. He was sure General Marian would never trouble himself to knock before entering someone else's room.

A voice came from within, "Is that you Noise? Please, enter!" Noise liked to imagine he could hear the slur of drunkenness in that voice.

Pulling open the door, Noise found himself confronted by opulence. All General Marian's furniture was upholstered in velvet. Rich, burgundy curtains lined swaths of double-paned windows that covered an entire wall. Electric lamps glowed from every corner of the room, and the entire west wall was devoted to a refrigerated wine cabinet, just to keep the general's booze at the proper temperature. How on earth had this man managed to subvert so much of Order resources? How had he convinced the science department to build that ABOMINATION for nothing more than his chilling his wine? Noise Marie felt sick.

"There you are, Noise. I was starting to worry you might keep me waiting all night." Cross smiled, but Noise felt the sting of his words. To suggest that NOISE was inconveniencing HIM? How dare he?

"I am sorry, General Marian. Some of us have other work we must attend to, also."

"No matter, no matter." Cross poured a glass of wine, something with a color to match the room's curtains. Noise was surprised when the general offered him the glass and began pouring a second for himself. Noise took it, and let himself be led to a lavish pair of cushioned chairs near Cross's work desk.

"Noise, I'm sorry I had to call you out here this late, but a problem has just come to my attention and I believe you would be the best choice to handle it." Cross sipped from his glass, and his eyes slid closed for a moment as he drew the wine over his palette. How could any man be so… so Dionysian?

"I don't know what problem you have in mind, Sir, but I'm sure that there must be someone more qualified than-"

Cross continued as if Noise hadn't spoken. "It's about Kanda, Noise. He hasn't been well, lately. I think he may have gotten himself… addicted to something." Cross bit his lip distractedly.

And now the man thought to defame a fellow member of General Tiedoll's contingent? "Sir, that is a very serious accusation to make against a fellow exorcist."

"Oh, no no no!" Cross shook his head for emphasis. "I'm not ACCUSING him, Noise. I'd rather no one knew about it at all. It could ruin his career, if it got around that he was abusing some illicit substance. Don't you agree?" The general leaned forward intently.

Ruin his career? The Black Order needed every exorcist it could find. It couldn't afford to let one go, even if… but could anyone really trust Yuu, if he were really…? With a reluctant sigh, Noise nodded his agreement.

"I'm sure you've seen the signs yourself, as close to him as you are. The way he walks around listlessly, like he's drained of energy? The distracted look he gets when you talk to him? The nights when he tosses and turns, unable to sleep?"

Again, Noise found himself nodding reluctantly. Could Cross be right about this? Momentarily distracted, Noise brought his own wineglass to his lips and drank from it.

Cross sat back with a sultry smile. "Do you like the wine, Noise? It's a pinot noir, seven years old. Silky, with a cherry and cinnamon taste. I had it imported from Denmark last year. You actually know how to drink it properly, don't you?" Was that a hint of surprise in the general's voice?

Suppressing a jab of frustration, Noise put the glass onto a small end-table beside his chair. "Sir. Yes, it's quite good, Sir, but we were talking about Yuu."

"Yes, yes of course. Kanda." Cross slapped his hand against his knee, leaning forward again. "I have it on good authority that he is keeping a jar of pills in his room. I expect he keeps them hidden – how ashamed he'd be if anyone were to find them! I think, Noise, the best thing to do is to remove the pills from his possession. Perhaps if he doesn't have them close to hand, Kanda will learn how to do without them."

Noise nodded his agreement. Remove the drugs from the equation. Best thing, all around. Some people might believe in trying to wean the addict, but not Noise. What was immoral and improper was no better if done in smaller amounts. If Kanda was really hiding a secret addiction, the best way to break it was head on. "If you don't mind me asking, Sir, how did you find out about these pills?"

Cross hummed distractedly. "Oh, how did I…? Yes, yes. Umm… I heard it from… Lenalee, yes! She confided in me. She does that. She was with him, in his room, y'know… doing what kids do? And, yes, she saw them there." The general nodded to himself, as if satisfied with his answer.

Lenalee, in Kanda's room? First the drugs, then a girl in his room with him? This was worse than Noise had thought. Images flashed through his head. Lenalee listening in horror as Yuu told her off-color jokes. Lenalee squirming away as Yuu brutishly laid his hand on her knee. Lenalee screaming for help as Yuu ripped away the last vestiges of her clothing and forced her onto his bed.

Noise was horrified. How could Yuu do something like that to sweet, gentle, innocent Lenalee?

"So, Noise, here is what I suggest."

Cross Marian began to lay out his plan. As he listened, Noise Marie nodded in approval. Unconsciously, he took another sip of the wine.


	6. Lenalee Lee

* * *

**The Wager**

_Part 6 - Lenalee Lee_

* * *

It was a nightly ritual. Wake up. Get dressed. Walk down to the mess hall. Get milk from the food-cooling unit the science department had installed in the kitchen. Use one of the still-warm cast-iron stoves to heat it. Pour the milk into a tall glass. Drink it down. Go back to bed. It worked like clockwork.

Lenalee hadn't slept through a full night without waking since she was eight. But since learning the warm milk trick, she'd never had trouble returning to sleep.

She yawned as she walked through the deserted hallway, her slippered feet scuffing lethargically across the stone floor. Just because she couldn't sleep didn't mean she wasn't tired. Lenalee's nerves were just on edge, as they were every night around this time. She supposed it had something to do with the nightmare – the nightmare she'd had every night for as long as she could remember. The details had changed over the years, but the core was always the same: a broken world, where everything she loved had been destroyed. She imagined most people would have a hard time falling asleep again after seeing that vision, night after night.

A dark figure moved across the hallway in front of her, and Lenalee stopped in surprise. No one else was ever out this late. Only the barest vestiges of illumination remained from pale lights the science division had strung throughout headquarters for safety.

The figure crossed again, and Lenalee began to creep forward quietly. Was it one of the other members of the Black Order? Or could it possibly be another of the Earl's servants?

Moving closer, Lenalee was able to get a clear look at the shadowy form. Thin. Sharp features. Long, dark hair. No… Could it be?

"Kanda?"

The figure stopped and turned, groping at its waist in surprise. When it recognized her, the tension seemed to drain from it and its hand fell back to its side.

"Damn it, Lenalee. Don't sneak up on people like that." Kanda fought back a yawn.

"What on Earth are you doing out here in the middle of the night, Kanda?" She moved a few steps closer, looking up into his face.

"Che. Same to you." He folded his arms and looked away. Probably too embarrassed to answer the question, Lenalee thought. His brusque demeanor fooled most people, but she had known Kanda for half her life.

"Well, -I-," she began with a self-important tone, "I'm on my way to the kitchen to get some milk. It helps me sleep at night."

Kanda paused for a few seconds, then slowly turned his head back to face her. "You don't say. Maybe I should go with you, 'ncase you need protection."

Protection from what, Lenalee wanted to ask, but just at that moment a flash of movement from further down the hall caught her eye. She cocked her head to the side, staring at where the movement had been. It didn't make any sense, but she would have sworn she'd just seen General Cross tip-toeing down the hallway with a glass of wine in hand. Pinkish, that rosé with the subtle fruity aroma that he'd been talking about earlier in the day. Lenalee shook her head, trying to dispel the cobwebs. What possible reason could the general have for sneaking around headquarters at night? She must have imagined it.

"Mmm, yeah. I suppose, if you'd like Kanda. Never know what might be out here." Imagination or no imagination, Lenalee clutched her arms to her chest and tried to repress a shiver.

As they walked, Kanda spoke again. "So, this thing with the milk. It helps you sleep at night?" He tried, and failed, to affect a nonchalant tone.

"Yup," she replied cheerfully. "But only when the milk is warm. Doesn't work otherwise."

Kanda nodded absently and accidentally stumbled into one wall of the corridor. He began to slump to the ground, but Lenalee hurried to support him. She took another look at his face, and in the pale half-light of the corridor she saw dark, sleepless circles around his eyes.

Kanda seemed momentarily uncomfortable with the way Lenalee was holding him up. He glanced up and down the corridor furtively and, seeing no one else, gave a heavy sigh. "Thanks, Lenalee. Let's go get that milk for you."

As they resumed walking, Lenalee keeping Kanda's arm draped around her shoulders, she kept a watch on both sides of the corridor. Just before the stairs down to the mess hall, she caught sight of another drifting shadow. It really did look like Cross Marian, at least if she squinted and pretended it wasn't tip-toeing. Cross Marian was not the sort of man to tip-toe about. She saw a glint, like light striking something metal, and tightened her grip around Kanda's waist. Could the Earl really have sent another of his agents to infiltrate the Black Order? Images, fears, began to flash through her mind: Lenalee facing off against a fully-released Tyki Mikk, Lenalee battling hordes of Level Three AKUMA, Lenalee tied to a bed with Road Kamelot's hands gently caressing her skin.

…where had that come from? She shivered in spite of herself, suddenly glad at the feel of Kanda's arm around her shoulders.


	7. Miranda Lotto

_Curses, foiled again!_

Cross Marian stood in the shadows of the mess hall, wine glass in hand, as he watched Kanda and Lenalee in the kitchen. Images of Lenalee wearing an apron – nothing BUT an apron – flashed through his mind before he could squash them. All this work, all this time dedicated to getting Kanda helpless and alone, too exhausted to resist Cross's advances, and then SHE had to come along and ruin it. How was Cross supposed to win his wager if people kept interfering with him.

Slowly, he tiptoed back up the stairs, careful not to make any noise that might betray his presence. Only a week left before the end of the wager, now. This called for drastic action.

* * *

**The Wager**

_Part 7 - Miranda Lotto_

* * *

Miranda Lotto was taking her lunch in the garden behind the Black Order tower, enjoying the spring air and the scent of fresh-blooming lilacs. There had been a time when autumn was her favorite season, but after being forced to repeat the same autumn day for weeks on end, she had developed something of a pathological aversion to the season. Now, the sight of falling red leaves was more likely to bring tears to her eyes than a smile to her lips.

She hated herself for it, but she hated herself for everything else too, so it wasn't a big deal.

As she bit into her sandwich, a sparrow alighted on the bench beside her. Miranda felt her face brightening involuntarily. "Oh, are you hungry too," she asked it.

The sparrow cocked its head to one side, as if curious why a human would talk to it.

Miranda broke off a corner of her sandwich bread and tossed it to the sparrow. The bird turned its stare to the crumb, and then hopped forward to nab the morsel with its beak. Miranda tore off another corner and tossed it as well, prompting the sparrow to move closer to her. A third scrap, and she pitched it to the bird.

The crumb of bread struck the sparrow square on the top of its head. It fluttered its wings in surprise and flew away.

Miranda, distraught, buried her face in her hands and wept piteously.

A few minutes later, a voice broke through her cloak of despair. "Oy! Miranda, isn't it? I didn't know you came out here to eat. Won't you come over here and keep me company?"

She opened her eyes, and was surprised to see a half-masked man with long red hair and a wide-brimmed hat sitting on an elaborate blanket a few yards away. With one hand, he brandished a wine glass in salute. The other hand beckoned her closer.

Scrubbing away her tears, Miranda stood reluctantly and made her way toward the blanket. The man had a large wicker picnic basket open beside him, and she could see a greenglass bottle standing just behind it. The man motioned for her to sit in front of him, and as she sat, he poured her a glass of clear white wine.

"I don't believe we've had the pleasure of a formal introduction, have we," asked the man. "I'm Cross Marian. And you, of course, are the radiantly beautiful Miranda Lotto." The man, Cross, gave her a dazzling smile.

Miranda, entirely unsure what to do with a compliment now that she had received one, nodded her head weakly.

Cross forced the glass of wine into her hand. "Oh, please, Miranda. Drink up! This bottle is far too much wine for me to drink by myself. It's a chenin blanc, all the way from South Africa. Has a lime and melon flavor, with hints of honey. Just the sort of thing I like, really, so I'm sure you will too."

Hands trembling, Miranda brought the glass to her lips and tried to sip from it without spilling. She managed, somehow, and found that the wine did, indeed, taste wonderful. She had another sip.

"I hear my apprentice found you, off in Germany somewhere. Good wine country, Germany." Miranda didn't pay much attention to what the man was saying. The wine was so delicious. She'd never really tasted wine before, or any other alcohol for that matter. She was always too poor, before coming to the Black Order, to afford luxuries like wine. And since arriving, well, she had just never found the opportunity to try it. She was surprised to suddenly find that her glass was empty.

"My! You remind me of Klaud Nine, Miranda. Have you met her, yet? No?" Giving her a warm smile, Cross dutifully refilled her glass. "Oh, I'll have to arrange a time when the three of us can get to know each other better." Miranda drank deeply from the glass. "I'm sure Klaud would be… fascinated…" Another long sip – so tasty! "…to meet someone with… well… nevermind." She drained the second glass, holding it out bashfully, hoping Cross would give her more.

Cross emptied the rest of the bottle into Miranda's glass, and she had the faintest impression that she heard him sigh. She hiccupped as she brought the glass back to her lips, and barely managed to avoid spilling any of the pale wine. A look of horror flashed across Cross's face, and Miranda heard herself giggle. Giggle? Miranda didn't giggle. She looked around for the imposter pretending to be her, but her vision blurred as she turned her head, and she had to turn back to keep her balance.

"Well, Miranda, I'd planned to share my lunch with you, but you've already finished the best part." Did Cross sound irritated? She heard another giggle echoing inside her head.

"You see, Miranda, I have a wager going with General Klaud, and I need your help to win it. You want to help me win my wager, don't you?" Miranda felt her head bobble. She hoped it was a proper nod. "Good. Then all I need is for you to stop someone's time for me, for a little while. Yuu Kanda's to be exact. I need you to freeze him. Can you do that?"

"Mmm… I dunno, Geneneral…" Miranda felt a blush creeping into her cheeks. "That's one I han't tried before, but… yeah, I think probly I can do it."

"Good! Because I'm getting tired of exorcists screwing up my plans. Be better to have them working for me instead of against me." Cross seemed to be talking to himself now. "First that Lavi kid, then Lenalee…." At the name, Miranda's cheeks reddened further and her imagination began to take her places she knew she shouldn't go. She saw Lenalee, knocking on her door in the middle of the night. Lenalee, telling Miranda about those bad dreams she had and asking to stay with her. Lenalee sitting on the bed with her, stripped to the waist and kissing Miranda so hard she could hardly breathe.

She knew she should be mortified by those thoughts. She knew she should be crying now, desperately trying to purify her mind, scrubbing away the shame that stained her soul.

Instead, Miranda Lotto giggled and surrendered herself to the beautiful images filling her mind.


	8. Arystar Krory

* * *

**The Wager**

_Part 8 - Arystar Krory_

* * *

Krory loved to learn. After spending so much of his life locked in his castle, there were so many things he didn't know about the world. Today, he was learning to speak French. Oh, not without a reason of course. General Tiedoll was originally from France. General Tiedoll spoke fifteen different languages himself, but Krory thought it would be nice to speak to the man in his native language, if he had the chance. Lavi had loaned him a French book, though with a little trepidation, and Krory had spent all day trying to read it. Sadly, he admitted to himself, Krory had so far enjoyed only limited success in understanding it.

_"Ah, non, pas là," la jeune femme cria. "Je vous en prie, monsieur. Je suis une femme hoborable!"_(1)

As he walked through the halls of the Black Order, Krory traced the passage with his finger, trying to puzzle out what the words might mean. It was hard work, though, and he'd been at it all day, so when he saw a flash of movement down the hall ahead of him, his attention immediately shifted.

Hurrying after the movement, Krory rounded a corner to see Cross Marian and Miranda Lotto walking ahead of him. Well, General Cross was walking. Miranda seemed to be moving in a stumbling lurch, only kept erect by Cross's hand around her waist.

As he watched the two exorcists moving away, an idea exploded in Krory's mind like a brilliant flash of light. If anyone knew the ways of the world, it was General Cross. Surely he would be able to help Krory learn to understand French!

"Ah, Gen- General Cross!" Krory sprinted down the hall, waving his arm over his head to catch Cross's attention. "General Cross! I have a question!!"

Cross turned his head and stared at Krory. He turned back, regarding the hall in front of him and taking a quick step forward. Then his shoulders slumped and he turned back toward Krory.

"Yes... Arystar, isn't it?" The general's voice was terse, and Krory wondered for a moment if he might be interrupting something. Well, whatever it was, it couldn't be too important. "Is there something I can help you with," Cross asked. "Something BRIEF, perhaps?"

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" Krory came to a halt, almost bumping into Cross and panting to catch his breath. "I've got this book, here, sir. I borrowed it from Lavi so I could learn to speak French, and I was wondering if you could help me with it?"

"...you want to learn French? And you're reading, what is that, _Le Chaud Lapin_(2)? This is Lavi's bo... no, no, I'm not going to ask." Cross sighed and shook his head. "Okay, Arystar, what do you want help with?"

Krory looked at the book, searching the page for one of the more incomprehensible sentences. Best to start with something complex, and then he could work his way backwards. Unfortunately, since he still hadn't quite caught the grasp of the language, all of the sentences looked equally incomprehensible. He picked one at random.

"Uh, I think... this one, General Cross, sir. Let me try to read it... '_L'homme versa deux verres du vin. "Après ça, ma puce, t'aspireras à mes doigts comme le sol sec aspire à la pluie." Le vin fut un bon cru, cultivé dans la valleé de la Loire, avec un goût sec et un bouquet sal__é__._'(3) Is that... Can you help me with that, sir?"

Cross snatched the book from his hand and stared at the passage. "What do they mean, a dry taste and a fruity bouquet? That doesn't make any sense. Who wrote this trash?"

"Um, sir...? But... what does it mean?"

"Oh. Well. 'The man poured two glasses of...' No. No. This is just... I can't read this." He threw the book back to Krory. "Go ask Lenalee or something. She's good with French."

Lenalee! What a brilliant idea! Images flashed through Krory's mind: Lenalee sitting with him, helping him study. Lenalee, tucking him into bed when he'd studied himself into exhaustion. Eliade, oh, sweet Eliade, how could he have killed her, how could he LIVE with himself, knowing he had killed the only woman he loved, who haunted his dreams every night in images of blood and fire. Sweet Lord, ELIADE! Krory felt tears begin leaking down his face.

"Miranda? Miranda?" From a distance, Krory thought he could hear Cross's voice echoing around him. "Damn it, Miranda, you didn't drink THAT much. How can you pass out after just three glasses of wine!?"

* * *

A/N: Apologies for my rusty French. Translations follow.

(1) "Oh, no, not there," the young woman cried. "Please, sir, I'm an honorable woman!"

(2) The Sex Machine (lit. The Hot Rabbit)

(3) The man poured two glasses of wine. "After this, my dear, you'll yearn for my fingers just as the dry ground yearns for rain." The wine was a good vintage, cultivated in the Loire valley, with a dry taste and a fruity bouquet.


	9. Reever Wenhamm

Things were not going well for Cross Marian.

Three weeks, he'd said. Three weeks in which to prove that Yuu Kanda was really a girl. That had been the wager. If he could prove it, then Klaud Nine would help him escape from headquarters again. If he couldn't… there had been some other part of the wager, too, hadn't there? But never mind that, Cross needed to escape this infernal prison before the Order started restricting his freedom again. Cross Marian operated on his own. Always had. He was more effective that way. And if the Order started telling him what to do or where to go, they were just going to cramp his style.

So that was that. He had three days left before the wager ended, and Cross was going to do everything in his power to make sure it went his way.

There was, however, another factor to the situation as well – one Cross hadn't quite anticipated. Cross Marian was sure that Yuu Kanda was a woman, but more than that, he… SHE was a very attractive woman. And as far as Cross was concerned, there was only one place for beautiful women: in his bed.

The wager had begun to give way to the chase. It wouldn't be enough to simply know that Kanda was a girl. Cross wanted Kanda for himself, now.

But the wager had to come first. Cross would have all the time in the world to seduce Yuu Kanda after the wager was over. But what could he do in just three days to prove Kanda was a girl?

And then it came to him, a way to kill two birds at once. With a spring in his step, Cross Marian strode toward the one place where he knew salvation awaited him.

* * *

**The Wager**

_Part 9 - Reever Wenhamm_

* * *

Reever Wenhamm was taking a smoke break. Of course, Reever didn't actually smoke. He considered smoking a vile habit. But Reever had spent years cultivating his image – the roughshod slacker, the epitome of Cool. The image he projected was so strong that the entire Science Division THOUGHT he smoked, even though none of them had ever seen him touch a cigarette. Reever's image had its advantages, and this was one of them: the ability to take a smoke break every half hour or so, without anyone batting an eye.

It was in that fashion that Cross Marian found him. The general rounded a turn in the corridor not far from the Science Division offices, spotting Reever immediately.

Reever straightened from his slouch against the wall. Cross looked like he had a purpose in coming to the Science Division, and Cross's purposes were rarely pleasant. The last time the man had been in residence at HQ, he had pestered the division constantly for this or that trinket. Reever hadn't been in charge then, and had often found himself sucked into making whatever it was that Cross requested. Half those objects, Reever hadn't understood.

The other half, Reever WISHED he hadn't understood.

"Wenhamm!" Cross's voice echoed down the corridor, and Reever flinched at the loudness of it. "Exactly the man I wanted to see! I have another project I'd like your boys to work on!"

Of course the man did. Reever was surprised Cross hadn't started piling on his requests earlier. "Fine, fine, General," he sighed. "But I'm not making any more of those… TOYS… you wanted to give Klaud for her birthday the last time you were here." Those had been the worst.

Cross stopped in his tracks, still two or three yards from where Reever stood, and blinked. "Oh? Oooohhh, THOSE toys? No, no, nothing of the sort, Wenhamm. Though she DID quite enjoy them, or so she told me later. If you still have the specifications on file, I'm sure Lenalee's almost old enough to enjo-"

"I said no, General. Sorry I mentioned it." But even against his will, Reever found himself remembering where those plans were stashed away. The Science Division never threw away design specifications. Brief images of Lenalee floated on the surface of Reever's thoughts, but he squelched them down. Klaud's birthday toys had been one of Cross's requests that Reever had understood better than he might like to admit.

"Ah, no matter." Cross drew a cigarette from a pack in one of his coat's inner pockets. "Have a light, Wenhamm?"

Reever shoved his hands firmly into his pockets, glaring at the general. "No, Sir. I don't." It really was a filthy habit.

Cross muttered to himself and began patting at his coat pockets, the cigarette hanging limp in his mouth. Not finding anything, he began to draw Judgement from his side and then paused. Cross looked around as if just now remembering that he was inside Black Order HQ.

"Hell. This place is gonna kill me if I don't find a way out soon." Taking the cigarette between his fingers, Cross stared at it and intoned a few syllables in some language Reever couldn't understand. The tip of the cigarette flared, like a magnesium fire, and extinguished itself just as quickly. Cross brought the cigarette back to his lips, and the tip that was white and pristine seconds before glowed red with heat and embers.

"Was there something you wanted, General? I should really be getting back to work." Reever turned to go, hoping he could duck back into the Science Department before Cross remembered why he'd come. The department was a no-smoking area, and if Cross followed him in, Reever would have the pleasure of throwing the man out again.

"Yes. Pills, Wenhamm." Cross replied so fast that Reever hadn't even managed one step toward the safety of the lab. Reever turned, and found himself facing off against an approaching fog of smoke. He resisted the urge to cough – how could Reever Wenhamm keep his image as the epitome of Cool if he coughed whenever someone went around smoking?

Cross continued. "What I need, Wenhamm, is an aphrodisiac. Something to make a person horny as all hell, anyway. And I need it by the day after next."

Reever felt a dark smile twisting his lips. Cross Marian needed an aphrodisiac? "Are we having trouble in bed, then, General? Can't quite find the stamina we used to have? Or is Klaud just used to… less fickle stimulation now?" Reever couldn't hold back the condescension dripping from his voice.

"Not for me, idiot." Cross blew another cloud of smoke in Reever's direction. "I've got a wager to win. I figure the best way to get Kanda's clothes off is to make Kanda do the job her… himself."

Again, Reever found himself remembering the location of Science Division's secret specifications files – all the things the division had designed and hidden away. Reever knew that the formula for making an aphrodisiac was already on file, though not because of Cross Marian. Last year, Komui had ordered the science division to…

The memories flashed through Reever's head, and however hard he tried, he couldn't stop them. Lenalee, agreeing to test the pills for the Science Division (per Komui's request, of course), even though she didn't know what they were. Lenalee, hooked up to a bank of monitoring machines, with electrodes stuck to her most sensitive areas. Lenalee, moaning and writhing on the examination table as the drugs took effect, while Komui looked on with a smile that Reever was still frightened to remember. Could Reever ever condone the use of those drugs, after what he had already seen?

Reever mumbled something, lost in the parade of horrors that flashed before his eyes. Cross seemed to take his response for agreement.

"Great, then! I'll be back tomorrow to see how you're doing. Don't disappoint me on this, Wenhamm. If you do a good job, I might even share some of my stash of Norwegian ice wine with you. You know, the grapes actually freeze on the vine during cultivation. We can raise a toast to the ingenuity and skill of the Black Order's Science Division."

Oh, what the hell. It was only Kanda, after all.


	10. Yuu Kanda

* * *

**The Wager**

_Part 10 - Yuu Kanda_

* * *

Yuu Kanda believed in an orderly universe. There was a proper place for every object. There was a proper explanation for every action. There was a proper path for each life to follow. Yuu didn't spend all day dwelling on philosophy – his was the path of the warrior, after all, and warriors have better things to do than daydream – but he knew what he believed.

It was natural, then, that Yuu should feel irritation, even anger on occasion, when something seemed wrong or out-of-place. It was contrary to the way the world worked, or the way the world SHOULD work in any case. Contradictions were at the root of what annoyed him most about Allen Walker.

But Allen Walker was nothing more than a mild irritation to Yuu – a symbol of a far greater problem, like a tender scab of clotted blood concealing a deep and grievous wound.

That wound was Cross Marian.

A warrior of the highest caliber, who spent all his time gambling and carousing. Never a moment spent on training, and yet the man's skills stayed razor-sharp. A powerful leader, both as a general among the exorcists and as Allen Walker's teacher - Kanda might despise the beansprout, but his combat ability was first-rate, just like his master's. And yet despite his own authority, Cross never recognized the authority of anyone else. Cross Marian was a blight on the Black Order, a foul miasma spreading chaos and decadence wherever he went.

But he was also a general, and as much as Yuu despised the man, Yuu's sense of duty demanded his deference and his obedience. So when Yuu had received a summons – well, maybe it had been more of an invitation, but it amounted to the same thing – when Yuu had received a summons to join Cross for dinner, there had been no honorable way to refuse.

Yuu knocked on the door to the general's quarters. A voice answered him from within. "Is that you, Kanda? Please, won't you come in and join me?"

Yuu felt his eye twitch. Cross Marian being polite with him? Biting off a curse, he opened the door and stopped dead in his tracks.

Candlelight illuminated the general's quarters, coming from every corner of the room and giving Cross's furnishings a warm, yellowish glow. A heavy oak table filled the center of the room, and two elegant place settings sat across from one another. The smell of fresh bread and pan-seared filet mignon filled the air. To anyone else, Yuu was sure that the food arrayed on the table would make for a delicious feast. Yuu's own stomach rumbled in protest, craving soba.

Cross Marian sat at the table, his back to the door and a wineglass in hand. He didn't turn at the sound of Yuu's entry, but sipped languidly at his wine.

"Have you ever been to Portugal, Kanda?" Yuu slipped around the table and took the seat opposite from Cross. "The Portuguese own an archipelago – oh, about five hundred miles west of the mouth of the Mediterranean. The islands are called the Madeiras."

What on earth was the man talking about? Yuu looked longingly at the door.

"These islands, they really aren't good for much. For a while, the Portuguese grew first wheat and then sugarcane there, but they had to carve each acre of farmland out of the forests that riddle those islands. Then there wasn't enough rain, and they had to irrigate the land. Then, the Portuguese settled Brazil, off in the Americas, and even Madeira's sugarcane crops became obsolete."

This was pointless. Yuu didn't want to have to endure any more of this man's mad babbling. "With all due respect, General, did you summon me here for a geography lesson?" Yuu fought to keep the anger out of his voice, but it was difficult.

"Patience. Patience, Kanda." Cross Marian reached over the table to take Yuu's wineglass, and poured him a measure of the same dark-red vintage that the general himself was drinking. Yuu accepted the glass grudgingly when Cross offered it back to him, and out of politeness, took a small sip.

Cross smiled at Yuu, and continued undaunted. "So what were the Portuguese to do with these islands which had now lost so much of their practical value? They began producing wine. And, as it turns out, Madeira wine is perhaps the finest wine known to man. Because it ages in a tropical climate, the wine ferments differently than many other wines. It lasts longer, too. I don't know how much appreciation you have for wine, Kanda, but the vintage we're drinking is from 1746. It's more than one-and-a-half centuries old. Any other wine would have turned to vinegar long before now, but not a Madeira."

Yuu noticed belatedly that he had been tasting the wine all through Cross's explanation. The glass was now more than half gone. Worse still, Yuu found that he wanted more.

Well, if Cross was so proud of his wine, how would he feel if Yuu treated it like any other beverage. Yuu raised the glass to his lips and tipped his head back, draining the wine quickly. He banged the wineglass back onto the table, making the silverware jump a little. "It's very good, General. But if you wouldn't mind, please, telling me why you wanted to see me?" The forced civility made Yuu want to rip out his own tongue.

Cross gave him a mysterious smile. "Oh, I just thought we could spend some time together and talk. My apprentice tells me wonderful things about you, Kanda."

For some reason, Yuu very much doubted that. He wished that calling a man a liar to his face wasn't considered uncivil. "He's… well-trained, General."

Cross laughed and leaned across the table. "He's a brat, Kanda, and we both know it. Why are you being so nice to me?"

Yuu flushed, glaring back at the man. "Because you're a general." After a pause, "Sir."

"Oh, don't let that stop you. I can see how hard it is for you to bottle up your anger. Yuu-kun."

Heat suffused Yuu's face, suffused his whole body. But where he should have been angry, he felt… something else, something he couldn't quite place. Yuu's mind just wouldn't seem to stay focused on Cross Marian. For some reason, he kept having the oddest thoughts about Lenalee. "I… I… hate… you," Yuu croaked weakly.

"Working already?" Cross rubbed his chin, pleased. "Reever said strong emotion would speed up the effects, but I never thought the drug would activate this quickly."

"Drug," Yuu mumbled, "What drug? What did you do to me, you bastard?" Lenalee flashed through his thoughts again, but he tried to push her away.

"Oh, I just slipped a little something into the wine bottle after pouring myself a glass. I'm glad Madeira keeps, because I plan on making that bottle last as long as I can, now. It's just a little drug the science division cooked up for me, something to make sure you're sufficiently… pliable… to go along with what I have in mind."

Yuu knew he should feel horrified. He knew he should feel angry. Instead he felt… aroused. "Wh- why," he stuttered. Words didn't seem to form correctly anymore. He opened his mouth to ask again, but all that came out was a shivering moan.

"Why? Because I made a bet with Klaud, of course. I told her I'd prove you were a girl within three weeks, and tonight is three weeks from the night we made the wager. And this time, Yuu, nobody's going to keep me from proving it." Cross stood and began walking around the table toward Yuu.

Yuu felt a thin thread of fear tinge the needful longing coursing through his veins. He raised his hand weakly, praying that he could fend off Cross's advances, but his eyes clouded over and he lost sight of the room around him. Instead, Yuu found himself facing a vision of Lenalee, nude and as flushed as Yuu himself felt. Why was he seeing Lenalee? Lenalee was a friend, a good friend but nothing more. Why was she caressing his cheek? An involuntary thrill shot up Yuu's spine. Lenalee would never do something like that, and a part of him knew he wanted her to.

Yuu opened his mouth to protest to the illusion. It wasn't right. It wasn't proper. Instead, he found himself leaping from his chair, pressing his lips hungrily to her own. Yuu felt her tongue slip into his mouth, gently twining with his own. He felt a hand tracing down his chest, sliding into the waist of his trousers.

Yuu only lost four buttons getting his shirt off.

* * *

Cross had to force Kanda's arms away as he laid the whimpering youth on the king-sized bed in the corner of his quarters. When Kanda had torn off the shirt, Cross had been surprised to see how small the young exorcist's breasts were. He had expected more, else why did Kanda bother with chest-binding so often? Still, Cross was confident he would win his wager.

Cross gripped the waist of Kanda's trousers and pulled down firmly.

"Oho?"

Kanda squirmed uncomfortably on the bed. Cross caressed the exorcist's stomach calmingly.

"Klaud is going to love this," Cross muttered to himself. "And who would have thought the little Japanese boy would be this well-endowed?"

He traced his hand down across Kanda's skin, until it encountered the rock-hard evidence that Cross had lost this particular bet. Cross teased Kanda gently with his fingers. Oh well. The boy was still beautiful. No sense letting the aphrodisiac go to waste just because he was the wrong gender.


	11. Epilogue

Author's Note: THIS CHAPTER is the real reason the story is rated 'M'. If you read this far, you're probably going to read it anyway, but be advised - what follows is not for the faint of heart.

* * *

**The Wager**

_Epilogue_

* * *

The boy's eyes fluttered open just as Klaud was tightening the last knot.

He tried to sit up, but the ropes prevented him from moving far. With a grunt, he fell back onto the canopy bed.

"There's no point in struggling, Boy. Cross lost his wager fair and square, and that means you're mine for the rest of the night." Standing behind the low-rising headboard, Klaud trailed her fingers languidly over the boy's well-muscled forearm. He rolled his head back to see who was touching him.

"My Master would never…" Oh, but he would, and the boy knew it. He growled. "No. I won't let you do this to me. I'm done paying his debts." The red scales covering his left arm writhed as his innocence began to activate.

Leaning over the headboard, Klaud twined her fingers in the boy's hair and tightened her hand into a fist. She pulled the boy's head upward so she could whisper in his ear. "Yes you will, Boy. You'll pay his debts until the day you die, because you know what he'll do to you if you refuse." The red scales returned to their usual, passive state. His eyes squeezed shut, and Klaud saw a tear trickle down his cheek.

"Oh, stop being so melodramatic," she chided. "You're going to enjoy this just as much as I will."

Klaud traced her hand over his skin as she walked around to the side of the bed. She crawled onto the mattress and straddled the boy's waist.

His short-sleeved shirt was already unbuttoned and open, exposing smooth, hairless skin. Klaud traced her middle finger down the center of his chest. The boy's muscles rippled in response as he tried to fight against the sensation of her touch. She gave a musical laugh.

"You know, Boy, your master has done this to me many times. I promise I won't bite. Unless you ask nicely, anyway." Klaud crossed her arms and gripped the waist of her blouse. With one smooth motion, she pulled off her top and tossed it aside. Then rising to a crouch, her hair almost brushing the canopy overhead, Klaud removed her skintight breeches.

The boy stared at her naked body, and for a moment undisguised lust was clear on his face. Again he grunted, shaking his head and trying to look away. He thrashed at the restraints, but they held strong.

Klaud kicked away the breeches and lowered herself back onto her prey. She slipped one leg between his two and stretched forward, lying atop him to reach for the headboard. Klaud felt her thigh press against the swollen warmth of the boy's member as she took a short knife from where it stood clasped to the board. She slid back down the length of his body, enjoying the delicious sensation of having her breasts squeezed against his beautiful young chest.

"I hope you aren't terribly fond of your trousers, Boy," she teased. He opened his mouth to reply, his face red with anger or arousal. Klaud touched the point of her knife to the inseam of the boy's pants, splitting the threads holding them together. His lips shook and he forced his mouth closed again.

Klaud enjoyed splitting seams. She took her time, careful not to cut into his beautiful white skin, but applying enough pressure that he was sure to feel the knife for every moment that it took her to slice off his trousers.

Once the seams were all cut, the boy's pants now no more than two oddly-shaped pieces of pocketed cloth, Klaud tenderly removed the remaining tatters. Now he wore nothing but the white shirt that hung open before her, and Klaud had to admit that she found him more attractive with that last vestige of civilization still clinging to him. She stretched forward again, replacing the knife against the headboard. Klaud could feel his erect length pressed against her thigh, and a part of her wanted to take hold and slip him inside her, to ride him like a trainer breaking in an impetuous stallion. But there would be time for that later, she told herself. There were other pleasures to be had, first.

As if on cue, a crash sounded from the large walk-in closet adjacent to Klaud's room.

"He's ready," Klaud shouted toward the door.

"Are you sure you want ALL of these, ma'am?" Klaud sighed to herself. The voice that responded was too deferential by half. It wouldn't do.

"Yes, all of them. Cross gave me the whole set for my birthday, oh, three or four years ago I think." A rattling sound told her that the boy was straining at his bonds again. Klaud shot him a quick, encouraging smile.

"O- okay, ma'am. I'll be out in just a minute."

"Will you STOP calling me ma'am, damn it!" Why did training a new partner have to be so difficult?

A figure stumbled out from the closet, wearing a black leather bustier and long, dark stockings. She carried a large wooden box, and almost tripped trying to carry it to the bed. She caught herself, and Klaud heard the contents of the box rattling around inside.

"Careful, girl! Some of those things are breakable. The last thing we need is for one of the glass ones to shatter. Probably leave shards stuck into all the others, and who knows WHAT that'll do to the boy!"

"I- I'm sorry, ma'am…."

"And don't call me that!"

The boy stared at the girl, his eyes wide in shock. "Lenalee…?"

Lenalee smiled, leaning down to give him a deep, passionate kiss. "Don't worry, Allen. General Klaud and I are going to make sure this is one debt you don't mind repaying."

Klaud grinned, ruffling the hair of her young apprentice.

* * *

_Fin._


End file.
